Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with karaoke

Sing It Slant

Sully — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:27:14 -0800

I am curious about karaoke musicians. What I mean by that is that I have noticed that a lot of karaoke music are re-creations of the original recordings. I am interested in the business, process, and culture of the musicians who re-create that music. We often get articles from reporters "embedded" in the entourage of a popular touring band - I was hoping that someone might recommend a feature article or book about the lives of these *ahem* unsung musicians. Thanks!

Oui Wii ?

fantasticninety — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:45:38 -0800

Is there a version of the video game American Idol with French songs? I was singing on the Wii with American Idol last night and was wondering if there was a French version of this game (or an equivalent where you sing French songs with the notes and you earn points singing them correctly).

This would be for the Wii.

Christmas Karaoke for the Wii!

TurquoiseZebra — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:45:29 -0800

Looking for a karaoke game for the Wii, or barring that, a Karaoke machine. Basically we want to mix things up at the family Christmas gathering this year and do some Karaoke. But! We just want to do Christmas music. We've got the Wii so that's why I thought it would be a good idea to use the Wii if there's a game that has Christmas music. Or perhaps it's possible to use the Wii as a Karaoke machine? Not sure about that.

Or I'd like recommendations for an inexpensive Karaoke machine. Looking to spend as little as possible as this will probably be used this one time and not again.

I hope I've explained this and been clear enough. Thanks in advance for your help!

Zig a zag ahhh!

Jubey — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:05:23 -0800

Help me dress as a rock star for Christmas! My office Christmas party theme is come as your favourite rock star and I need ideas! So, it's a fancy dress party and the theme is come as your favourite rock/pop star. For added excitement, it's also karaoke and there is an excellent chance we'll have to get up and actually perform as that star on stage in front of the entire company (I know, I know...I can't sing either and I hate being the centre of attention). Anyway I need ideas.

Additional information, I'm a petite white girl with long dark straight hair in Australia if it helps. It would be nice if I didn't have to spend a fortune on an outfit but I'm open to anything. Lady Gaga and the Spice Girls are already taken. I'm open to dragging in a few others and going as a group, and I'm open to dressing as a guy too. I was thinking Chrissie Amphlett from the Divinyls (Aussie band) as I can cobble together a school uniform from home, or Madonna from her dark haired Like A Prayer days but I was wondering if the hive mind had any other suggestions?

Help me find Ben Folds Karaoke

Thrillhouse — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:48:06 -0800

Trying to find Ben Folds karaoke tracks. I've tried iTunes and Google and for the most part all I've ever come across is the same 3 songs.
Then one day I came across a site where a dude (Mark Pilon) recorded a bunch of piano backing tracks. They're pretty good but I'm looking for more songs.
DOes anybody know of any other BF karaoke tracks out there besides:
K- Brick
K- One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
K- Trusted
K- You to Thank
K- Underground
K- Time
K- Songs of Love
K- Sentimental
K- Missing the War
K- Live with what you are
K- Landed
K- Jesusland
K- In Between Days
K- Fired
K- Ascent of Stan
K- Adelaide

Karaoke in NYC

Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:54:22 -0800

NYC KaraokeFilter: Looking for a great karaoke place in Manhattan to hold a birthday party for about 20 or so people. We'd like to rent a private room. A big English songlist is a must, and the place should serve alcohol. Cool & loungey is a major plus. Thanks! Ideally, we'd like a somewhat "nicer" place which is conducive to lounging around, mingling, and drinking as well as singing. Some places we've done some research on which look like possibilities: Karaoke One 7, Karaoke Top Tunes and Sing Sing. Red Bar has a very cool front room, but they couldn't promise that the karaoke machine would be working. (Zuh?) We've been to spots like Duet 35, but I feel that the rooms there are heavily geared toward singing and not so much for just mingling.

Anyhow, if you have any comments on any of these places, or can suggest some other locations, that would be terrific. Thanks so much.

P.S. I found one helpful previous question on this subject, but it's three years old, and our needs are a bit different.

Where should I karaoke in Memphis on a Thursday or Friday?

23skidoo — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:42:37 -0800

I am travelling to Memphis in a couple few weeks. Where would be a good place for me to karaoke there, specifically on a Thursday or Friday? Here are things that I am looking for in a karaoke place. The more of them that your recommendation has, the better.

1) friendly dive bar type of place where people in their 20s or 30s might go
2) not terribly busy (I get to sing at least once an hour)
3) not just country singers, but a wide variety of clientele
4) a karaoke book that has lots of Hall & Oates (so I can convince my sister to come out)

Recommend me somewhere.

Gershwin karaoke

DeucesHigh — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:31:51 -0800

I'm singing in an outdoor wedding and am desperately looking for a karaoke version of Gershwin's "For You, For Me, For Evermore." I would prefer a version that starts at the refrain (right on "For you, for me..."). Any suggestions? I've looked on iTunes and Google and have only found karaoke versions of Gershwin's more popular songs.

I love Jay-Z, but autotune is still alive and well. For now.

anildash — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:30:32 -0800

What's a good (and not terribly expensive) portable setup for adding AutoTune to live vocals? This would be in NYC, and the world needs to experience AutoTune karaoke. I don't have ProTools on my laptop, but I'd be open to renting some gear or buying some software if it weren't prohibitively expensive. My ideal setup would be that we could run vox through a laptop rig, and have the karaoke venue just plug in to the laptop's output. Bonus points if it can be done with the basic autotune feature built in to Garage Band, and a Mac-based solution is preferred.

Help me find age appropriate funny Christmas songs!

Thrillhouse — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:02:09 -0800

Looking for a couple of funny, tasteful christmas songs that would likely have the backing track available. Last year my son (7 years old) and I recorded "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." It was a riot and totally adorable. The karaoke track was commercially available for $2. It's definitely something I'm going to be happy I did in 20 years.
He wants to do it again this year and I'm having a tough time finding something that is funny, age appropriate, and available.
Anybody have any thoughts. Hippopotamus was PERFECT. It's going to be tough to top that. I don't really want to do the standards like Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. Something a bit more obscure....

Any thoughts??

Thanks!!

Hello Cleveland.

jbickers — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:17:59 -0800

I'd like to make homemade karaoke discs ... can you help? We've gotten back into karaoke at the local pub lately, but virtually all of the songs I want to do are unavailable from any source. I'm talking, I want to be able to sing Fairport Convention or Fear Factory or Great Lake Swimmers, stuff this is not now and never will be available on a "real" karaoke disc.

So, I'm wondering if it's possible to make homebrew karaoke discs that will play in the CD+G player at the pub. I'm imagining the process would be something like ...

1. Remove vocals from an MP3
2. Add subtitles/lyrics
3. Burn to a compatible disc for the CD+G player

Do tools for these steps - preferably open-source - exist? Furthermore, have you done this, and were you satisfied with the results? Is this legal to attempt to do? General advice or tips?

(Found this previous question, but it wasn't much help)

Help me figure out this Korean karaoke manual!

eamondaly — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 08:01:06 -0800

Can you or anyone you know read Korean? Our favorite dive bar bought a Taijin Media Ziller TKR-880 karaoke machine, but the manual and menus are entirely in Korean and we can't figure out how to transfer songs to the unit via USB. Here's the manual. Rick Astley needs your help!

Can You Recommend an Online Karaoke Source?

jfrancis — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:05:47 -0800

Can you recommend a good source for karaoke songs online? I've tried iTunes: slim pickin's. I've Googled around, as well. I haven't turned up that much.

Is there an iTunes for karoke?

I'm looking for 'Tell Me Something I Don't Know' by Selena Gomez for my 11-year-old for a school thing - but I'll take anything in that general area.

Best home karaoke solution?

jeffmshaw — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:48:56 -0800

Help me create the ultimate karaoke room in the finished basement of my house. Reading over the karaoke posts in the archives, it seems there are numerous ways to go about creating a karaoke room: buying a dedicated karaoke machine, using a computer, using one of the games available for a console or modifying a DVD player.

I'd like specific advice about the best way to create an awesome karaoke den, from scratch. Money is a factor, but not an overwhelming concern. I don't mind spending to get it right.

The basement already has a large TV with gaming consoles and DVD player attached. I also have 3 gigs of songs on my PC, so I wouldn't be averse to using the computer as a solution. My main criteria for an enjoyable experience:

* A wide variety of songs, with easy ways to add more
* Multiple mikes
* Lyrics are a requirement, with effects and visuals a bonus

I'm looking for:

* General advice about the best way to do this (I'm leaning toward a PC solution, but could easily be swayed. I'd love it if you'd tell me how YOU'D create your perfect karaoke room)
* Specific equipment recommendations (what speakers? what mikes? Any great accessories?)
* Links to articles about creating your own karaoke room that you find helpful. There's a lot of chaff out there and I'm having a tough time finding the wheat.

Thanks much in advance. I'm in Durham, NC, if that matters.

Your favorite karaoke bar in NH/MA

Thrillhouse — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:23:03 -0800

Looking for the best karaoke bar in southern NH, Northern MA. We've experienced Harry Karaoke at a couple different places but now we're looking for a new place to go. Somewhere along 93 between Andover and Manchester. Current music (unlike Harry's stuff) and a fun, laid back atmosphere. NOT a meat market.

Make my computer a karaoke champ.

comeonsurferrosa — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:55:55 -0800

How do I turn my laptop into a mobile karaoke machine? I've got an XP system, lots of storage space for songs, and a bar that wants me to host karaoke once a week for a few bucks. They're supplying the PA system.

Other than doing lots of karaoke in the past, I don't actually know how to turn my machine into a karaoke machine. I need a quick education. I don't want to use actual discs. I'd like to store all the files on my computer, like I've seen other KJs do.

Karaoke-like software that will show chords and lyrics in time that I can follow along to?

andrewzipp — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:11:38 -0800

I'm a beginner on acoustic guitar. Is there any karaoke-like software that will show chords and lyrics in time that I can follow along to? I have a DVD called "Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar" that has a couple of practice tracks, where on screen there's notes that light up on the beats, and some really basic drum and bass accompaniment. You strum E four times on the beats, switch to A, etc. It's more fun than playing with just a metronome.

It seems like there's plenty of software that will let you write out your own backing tracks, or there are backing tracks that you can jam along with if you really know what you're doing. But is there something where I could plug in the chords and lyrics for 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard' and play along with the chord changes and lyrics keeping time on the screen?

Good karaoke place in Toronto?

BeaverTerror — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:27:25 -0800

Karaoke in Toronto? What a good karaoke place in Toronto that has private rooms and good food? This is for this Friday evening. How much does it cost, and do I need to book ahead of time?

Preferably a place with free parking.

Thanks!

For your birthday, let's duet

strangememes — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:18:27 -0800

[KaraokeFilter] Karaoke night tonight and one of the group has a birthday at midnight. Help me find something special to sing! She loves to sing too, so this can be a duet. Heck, it can be a group number, we've got plenty of people coming. Any special karaoke-able, birthday-ish songs out there? Or any other ideas on making tonight's karaoke memorable for her?

If it helps, she's turning 27.

Suggestions needed for hilarious Powerpoint Karaoke skit

arrowhead — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:47:25 -0800

I'm compiling some powerpoint slides to be used for a Powerpoint Karaoke at an upcoming BarCamp. Any ideas on what Powerpoint subjects that would generally make a hilarious skit?

Songs Please

The ____ of Justice — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:03:30 -0800

How do you download Singstar songs from non-U.S. singstores? (PS3 question)? For some reason, I'm guessing due to licensing issues, those of us in the U.S. can't purchase and download songs from Queen, Morrissey, and other great artists from PS3's online store. They're only available to PS3 users in Europe.

Apparently there's a workaround that's worked only for a handful of people in the U.S., where you open a fake PS3 account in Belgium and use American Express.

I tried this method and failed. Have any U.S. residents here purchased Singstar songs from Europe successfully? Would love to know how.

How can we party like it's 2008?

The ____ of Justice — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:41:25 -0800

Any tips for having a Rock Band/Sing Star/Guitar Hero party? Want to have some people over to play. I've had friends over before, but would like to extend invitations to friends of friends, acquaintances, etc.

I figure I'm going to have to provide alcohol to get at least a couple of the people singing. So we'll have beer and food. We probably won't be able to provide any cocaine, however, for the shy ones.

We live in an apartment with a pretty small living room, so I'm not sure what's a good number to invite.

Any tips or suggestions by people who've thrown/attended these types of parties before? Not looking for a big production, just want everyone to have a good time.

Help me find new karaoke songs.

23skidoo — Sat, 24 May 2008 18:34:58 -0800

Help me find new karaoke songs that are 1) recent 2) in my key 3) likely to be in a karaoke playlist 4) don't have a bunch of runs and shit and 5) have at least one part where I really get to belt it out like a mofo. I am looking for songs that came out since 2000. Songs that are in my key, were found in a karaoke book, and have a belt-y part are "Perfect Situation" by Weezer and "All These Things That I've Done" by the Killers. What else can you recommend for me? Bonus points for songs that make girls go "woooooo!" when the music starts.

私と voulez-vous coucher?

n y my — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:21:06 -0800

no more Sukiyaki: after-work in-japanese karaoke battle song needed! what's your suggestion? looking for a japanese song for karaoke, and i really don't know any. what are your favorites? in general, i'm especially a fan of songs with themes along the lines of "what are we waiting for" "we should hook up" and "i really really want you" and "i really really want you (and have no idea how to tell you)," but am open-minded.

details:
*must be pretty easily found: available on youtube or something for practice, available on a typical (japanese) karaoke place box, lyrics online
*middling speed: too fast and i can't read, too slow and it's boring
*middling range: mariah carey i'm not
*dirty is ok, even recommended for fun-value.
*i can read japanese. i'm just musically unawares.

Best karaoke game with unlimited songs?

jjsonp — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:52:51 -0800

Best karaoke for PC? What we want is some program + service which provides a Konami-like interface with a vocal+ musical track, and with (paid) access to _all_ songs, because what you really want with karaoke is to sing songs you LIKE. And that of course changes as new songs come out.

My wife and I have had a blast over the years playing karaoke-style games on XBox, PS2 (and now the Wii). We much prefer the Konami games to Sony's SingStar - SingStar is nice since it has the original artists & videos, but the absolute time-track on Konami's implementation is far superior if you don't know the song well (which is usually the case at parties).

The fatal flaw of both however is that the number of songs you can access is extremely limited. We downloaded all the songs for Konami via XBox Live years ago - about 80 (and cost about $80), 70% of which were lame songs no one's ever heard or would want to sing. SingStar sells separate genre-based discs, with about 50% of the songs being worthwhile.

I can't believe the recording/gaming industry haven't recognized that millions of game-buyers are willing to pay a dollar a song or whatever to have it in their karaoke collection.

What is out there to provide this functionality? Thanks!